OXT and post-traumatic stress disorder: Further, in support of an active role of oxytocin in stimulating social interaction in humans, administration of exogenous oxytocin as a nasal spray has been shown to exert positive effects on social interactive skills in autistic individuals and to decrease anxiety in individuals with anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Tops et al., 2014; Auyeung et al., 2015; Andari et al., 2016; Feldman et al., 2016; Shamay-Tsoory and Abu-Akel, 2016; Frijling, 2017).